Jamie Green puts Audi ahead in DTM testing

Jamie Green set the fastest time on the third day of testing for the DTM contested on the Catalunya circuit with a lap achieved in 1'07"171. Gary Paffett (Mercedes) nevertheless retains the best time of the week with a time of 1'06"149 achieved the day before yesterday. " It was a good day ", commented the former Mercedes driver. “We completed our schedule and accomplished every task on our list. The track remained dry, the sessions were not interrupted by red flags and we did not encounter the slightest technical problem. We covered many kilometers (180 laps covered by the Briton) and this is of paramount importance to me. The only thing that will help me feel comfortable behind the wheel of the Audi RS5 DTM is to complete as many laps as possible with it. The same applies with my race engineer and my data engineer and these tests represent a good opportunity to improve this collaboration. The DRS also offers a positive impression. Its effect will not be as significant as in F1 and overtaking will not be as simple but it will still be easier to achieve. We also learned a lot with the option tires which are clearly faster than the standard ones. »

The gaps remain tight since Pascal Wehrlein falls just 65 thousandths off the best time of the third day with his Mercedes C-Class AMG DTM. “Driving the Mercedes for the first time in Barcelona in official testing was simply fantastic”, added the German who distinguished himself last weekend by winning two of the three races of the F3 European Championship at Monza and who replaces Ralf in DTM Schumacher. “I'm looking forward to continuing my work with the team to try to understand the car and get familiar with it as quickly as possible. As a rookie, it is vital to learn as quickly as possible before the upcoming season. We have collected a lot of data to help us move forward. It goes without saying that I am delighted to have signed the second time, even if I am aware that these are only tests. »

Filipe Albuquerque (Audi) and Roberto Merhi (Mercedes) also finished less than a tenth behind. Adrien Tambay (Audi) took fifth place ahead of Christian Vietoris (Mercedes). Dirk Werner only places the first BMW M3 DTM in seventh place, ahead of the Audi of Mike Rockenfeller and the three BMWs of Andy Priaulx, Joey Hand and Marco Wittmann. “I was waiting for these tests with real impatience,” assured the rookie of the Bavarian firm. “After all, it was my first outing with the BMW M3 DTM. I was more than satisfied with our work after the first day. I felt really comfortable, both behind the wheel and with the already very good BMW Team MTEK. It is important for us to adapt perfectly and be fit for the start of the season. This day was a great step forward in this direction. »